Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-24
A POLITICAL BOMB,
A Letter from Mayor Hewitt Read at the
New York Southern S0ciety's Ban.
quef-Citizenshjp Sold.
A Retrograde Movement in the North
while the South, with Free Ciiizenship,
is Steadily Advancing.

NEW YORK, Feb. 23.-The following
letter from Mayor Hewitt was read at the
New York Southern Society's banquet
last night: "There was but one excep-
ton in the constitution as originally
formed to guarantee the personal liberty
of every citizen, and the result on the
fortunes of the north and south was most
marked, and is now apparent to every
student of politics. Where labor is free
and citizen may dispose of his time and
efforts as he sees lit, progress, even
where natural resources are few, is inev-
table. The resources of the south in
coal and iron and other useful metals
We're perfectly well-knoBn before the
civil war. | called attention to them
as early as 1856, and predicted
then the development which is
row going on almost miraculous
in Its extent and rapidity. l suppose the
demonstration is complete even TO every
southern man, that the liberty of citizens
is essential to the prosperity of society,
and yet while this demonstration was
then going on for years in the south re-
trogade movement had been Inaugurated
in the north, looking to the enslaVement
of citizens, and the destruction Of all
rights of tree action except so far as it
may be exercised in the choice of ire
sp nsible agents to whom secret organ
IZation see fit to entrust the power. With
in the last few weeks we have seen large
bodies of men confessing that they had
no grievances, deliberately quit work on
the order of secret tribunal, whose
power they dared not call in
question and of whom every man stood
10 dread. 1t is Incredible that in the
north, where the fruits of free govern
ment and of the personal right OF each
man TO employ himself according 10 his
own will have been SO consplcuously
demonstrated by the growth of hundred
years, any man would be willing to
sacriii-e his personal independence and
yield 1t to ignorant, selfish aud unscru-
pulous Leaders, using this power only
for their personal advantage. Indeed,
such tyranny would never have been pos
sible but for the ingenious, danger
Gus heresy which made it possible
fer men to refuse to work with
other men VINO have not seen
fit 10 join those secret organizations.
Society never contemplates that this
power would be exercised so as to prac-
tically reduce any portion of workmen on
the land 10 a condition of not being able
to get work upon any terms whatever ex-
cept compulsory membership with or
CARNATIONS governed by a secret and
irresponsible tribunal. When men who
are seeking work find that there is only
one condition upon which they can get it,
thev must surrender their private views
IN 70 ba
stiles of the case. This sacrifice having
been made the power of the leaders be-
comes absolute. We ali sympathize with
the workingmen of the country, and are
glad that the wages of lab II are steadily
on the increase. We rejoice that capital
has so increased that 1t daily becomes
cheaper to those who are compelled to
borrow 1t, because labor profits when
the cost of capital is reduced,
but the benefits which would thus under
the national laws accrue to
the great mass OF the people is
largely, if not entirely, neutralized by
the losses of compulsory strikes and en-,
forced idleness. No one would interfere
with the right of free association on
the part of any class of our citizens. On
the contrary, such associations are to be
encouraged up to the point where they
undertake to deprive the citizen of his
personal liberty. At this point, not only
the constitution of the Country is at.
tackled, but its progress in wealth will be
checked, and all incentives to special
effort in order to achieve larger rewards
due to skill and genius will
be arrested. Hence, you of the south
and we oflthe north must take firm, de,
cided position that under no circum-
stances we will permit he labor of the
citizen to be enslaved, and that If ad
ditional legislation is required to meet
this new and pernicious movement which
would relegate the north to the condition
in which the south was before the war in
re gard to its labor, no time should be
lost in securing its enactment. There is nc
doubt that revision of the
laws relating to employment
is necessary and while have abundant
faith in the good sense of our people and
in the utter failure to class movements
which are at war with the fundamental
principles of the constitution, my eX
perlence mas taught me thst the safeguard
of the law is absolutely essential for the
security of society, and that the enforce
ment of the law Is the best guarantee OF
the stability of industry and the equitable
distribution of wealth ~